One of the present inventors has previously invented hermaphrodite hook and loop fasteners as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,695,976 and 3,562,770. However, such prior fasteners were complex, three-level structures made from three prefabricated webs of hook-forming, mesh-forming and base sheet-forming materials, respectively.
By virtue of containing both hooks and loops, an hermaphrodite fastener gives the user flexibility in usage regarding various combinations of opposable, matable fastener media, because the hermaphrodite fastener can be mated with an opposed hermaphrodite fastener or with an opposed loop medium or with an opposed hook medium. There does not appear to be any commercially successful hermaphrodite hook and loop fastener on the market today.